Providing a solution to the customer’s sensor requirements requires more than just high-performance sensor chips. In most cases, the sensor signals need to be amplified, filtered, compensated and processed in various ways. Several types of sensors often work together, as in our inertial navigation systems. Furthermore, the application can impose stringent requirements on the sensor system in terms of size, weight, power consumption, temperature etc. Our electronics-design team has expertise in all these areas.
Analog front-end
The world is analog and so are most sensor signals. The careful design of the analog parts of the electronics is of paramount importance in preserving information in complex signals. Selecting the right amplifiers and analog-to-digital converters for the application is critical. When required, we also design our own application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). Electromagnetic interference, temperature effects and signal integrity and many other such issues need to be addressed.
Digital signal processing
Most applications require that the sensor signals be processed, stored or transmitted in digital form. We frequently use programmable logic (FPGAs) or mixed-signal ASICs for demanding, real-time processing tasks. Some sensors, like gyroscopes, require advanced real-time feedback algorithms to achieve optimum performance. Most systems also use one or more microcontrollers to provide the functions essential to a complete sensor system.
Data transmission
Sensor data are often transferred to a computer or a PDA for further processing or presentation. Depending on the application requirements, data can be stored on memory cards or transferred wirelessly via Bluetooth or WLAN. Many sensor nodes can be connected in a mesh network, ason a construction site using a ZigBee network. Data can also be transferred over the Internet.
Power supply
All electronics need power and our micro-systems often need to have their own power source in the form of a rechargeable battery. The various battery technologies all have their own properties, and the selection must be made based on the requirements of the specific application.
Environment
Many of our customers require our sensor systems to work in harsh environments. Our electronics need to meet the requirements imposed by variables such as temperature or mechanical endurance as in sites like mines or steel mills.
Laboratories
We are equipped for effective prototyping and design verification . Our laboratories contain everything from PCB-milling machines to logic and network analyzers.